


i just wanna be close to you

by wortfee



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Domestic Fluff, Friendship/Love, General Gentleness, M/M, Neymar being an adorable puppy, Playing the Piano with Lang Lang, Singing Karaoke, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-05
Updated: 2016-03-05
Packaged: 2018-05-24 21:35:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6167548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wortfee/pseuds/wortfee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rafinha knew, logically, that he had a soulmate somewhere out there. He knew it because everyone had a soulmate, even if they were far, far away. But with football and injuries and Ney jumping up and down in front of him, singing Justin Bieber on his karaoke machine, he didn't have time to think about soulmates that much. He felt complete like that, already.</p>
            </blockquote>





	i just wanna be close to you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [neyvenger (jjjat3am)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jjjat3am/gifts).



> happy birthday you wonderful human <333 i already told you how much i admire and love you, so i'll keep this short, but you are beautiful and wonderful and deserve all the love, pierreus hugs, more neyfinha moments and a sunny day. i want to say this was planned and written in bits over weeks, scheduled to be ready on your birthday, but in reality i saw joey's birthday edit for you, screamed and then wrote this. i hope you still like this anyway <3

After his injury, there were a ton of people who were there for him. Dani came to visit him in the first week every day, brought guitars and old Vinyls and he taught him how to play some of his favourite songs on the guitar. Adriano and Sandro dragged him out to their favourite restaurant once he could walk without crutches and felt like going out. Both Marc's came to visit him quite frequently, one Marc bringing his daughter most of the time, and the other one cooking food for him in his kitchen, while Rafinha read out to him all the reasons why he should learn Portuguese. Even Munir invited him to play FIFA and drink beer they weren't supposed to drink.

Rafinha felt incredibly grateful towards all of them because falling into a hole after injuries was easy. He realized that, when he lay alone in bed in the evenings or when nobody had time because they were on away matches. Seeing the team struggle, and even seeing them win, hurt in a way that he couldn't explain, but it hurt nonetheless. He called Thiago a few times and his brother told him firmly, but kindly that he was stupid when he thought that he was somehow worthless since he wasn't able to play.

"You're still part of the team, Rafa, they still need you. I know it feels like shit when you see them win and especially when you see them lose, but believe me, you will be back as soon as possible. I could do it, so you can do it, too, Rafa because you are strong, stronger than me even."

Rafa had only snorted and rolled his eyes. Nobody was as strong as Thiago, but the words helped him, immensely. Thiago usually did.

And then, there was Neymar.

Neymar who made sure he got out of bed to go to rehab when he didn't feel like it. Neymar who let him sleep at his house when his own felt too empty. Neymar who bullied him into singing karaoke with him. Neymar who just pressed his body next to his on the couch when they watched Disney movies with Davi. Neymar who invited him to poker nights and who celebrated Christmas with him, tipsily dancing around the pool and almost falling in it.

Neymar whose soulmate mark he had never seen. He even saw Marc's, who is incredibly private in these matters, a silvery half-moon that looked awfully familiar. Rafa was sure he had seen somewhere in the locker room.

Rafinha knew, logically, that he had a soulmate somewhere out there. He knew it because everyone had a soulmate, even if they were far, far away. But with football and injuries and Ney jumping up and down in front of him, singing Justin Bieber on his karaoke machine, he didn't have time to think about soulmates that much. He felt complete like that, already.

 

~~

 

"Do you know who will come here tomorrow?" Neymar's whole face was lit up, his eyes sparkled and his full lips were stretched to a blinding smile. He looked like an excited puppy. Neymar didn't even let him say the obligated "No?" before he started to speak again.

"It's Lang Lang! You know the guy who plays the piano. Like good, like crazy good! He is a genius and he will come to my house tomorrow, damn!"

"I don't think you ever fangirled so much over a person," Rafa said dryly, "Not even Leo." Neymar threw a pillow at him.

"Oh shut up," he muttered and blushed. Rafa only smiled at Ney, who looked really, really good while he blushed. Rafinha didn't allow himself to think too much about the fact that he noticed these things about Neymar - the way his eyelashes fluttered when he looked down and blinked, and the way his small hands got cold too soon, and the way he smiled when he saw Davi or Rafa or his sister, or anyone who was important, really - because he was supposed to not notice them and be a normal friend and not one who thought about the freaking eyelashes of his friends before he went to bed.

"You'll stay here," Ney said, then, "Maybe he can teach you some stuff because it's a pity you don't understand my genius instruction when I try to teach it to you."

"Your genius instructions that usually involve you being so impatient that you don't actually teach me stuff, but only play yourself?"

Neymar snorted. "I'm the genius, I play an instrument!"

"I play the guitar?" Rafinha replied and laughed, loudly when Neymar sighed dramatically and let himself fall on the couch. "You don't appreciate my effort," Ney whined, but cuddled closer to Rafa anyway.

"I appreciate everything about you," Rafa murmured, more to himself than to Ney, and he wasn't sure if he imagined it, but he felt Ney smile against his shirt.

 

~~

 

Lang Lang came, and Ney was giddy and happy and Rafinha did learn to play a bit from Lang Lang. The guy played the piano like Leo played football - it was pure perfection and he was actually really nice as well, always smiling and talking to them in English.

"How are you so good?" Neymar asked, after they shook hands and took some photos together.

"Practise," Lang Lang only replied, and then he fiddled at Neymar's finger until the plaster came off. "Love," he said, and threw the plaster away. "And no plasters on your fingers!"

Neymar didn't seem to mind that Lang Lang just plucked the plaster from his soulmate mark, at least that was what Rafa thought was under the plaster because nobody was allowed to took it off. Rafinha tried to catch a glimpse of the mark, but Neymar shoved his hand in the pocket of his trousers hastily. They said their goodbyes and Lang Lang promised Ney to invite him as a guest to one of his shows, one day. Neymar looked like he just scored a hat-trick after that, and Rafinha only giggled.

"Today is such a good day," Neymar said, after all the people but Rafa left his house and he plopped down onto his couch. Rafa made some noises that meant general approval, and went to Ney's giant kitchen he never really used to make himself some tea and Ney some hot chocolate because Ney hated any kind of tea, especially Mate. He, of course, still had Mate laying around in his kitchen because Luis and Leo didn't came over as often as he did, but still pretty often. And he didn't count anyway because he basically lived in Ney's house since the injury.

"What are you doing?" Ney shouted from the living room, "Can you bring me a mug of hot chocolate?"

"Already on the way," Rafinha shouted back. That's how they were. Basically living together, bantering, making mugs of hot chocolate and tea for each other.

"Thanks Princesa," Neymar said as Rafa handed him his mug. He rolled his eyes at the nickname but he knew that he blushed. He always did when Ney became like this, all loving and caring and cuddly.

After a few sips of the beverage, Ney put his mug away and leaned forward. Rafinha tried not to be surprised because his hot chocolate was the best, and Ney usually loved every second of it and cherished every sip, as it should be.

"What would you do if you fall for someone who isn't your soulmate?"

Rafinha put his tea away, too. This was unexpected and if he had been at his flat, he would have stared at his bonsais to calm down. But he wasn't at his flat, but at home with Neymar and the question somehow hit too close.

"I don't know," he answered. "I mean, I think it would still work but if the other one finds their soulmate, it would suck. Like really suck."

"So, if I was, technically in love with you and you weren't my soulmate and I'd still kiss you, what would you do?" Neymar was blushing and his voice sounded somehow hoarse and it was awkward but Rafa still understood.

"You can kiss me if you want," he only said, and tried to get the words out steady. His heart beat too fast and his palms were sweaty, and he felt more nervous than he ever had felt in his entire life, but Neymar grinned, a beautiful genuine smile, and pressed his lips against Rafinha's. He tasted hot chocolate and a bit of Neymar's toothpaste. Rafa melted against Neymar and it would have been embarrassing as he started to moan a bit because this was only a kiss, and he wasn't fifteen anymore, but it was Neymar so he didn't care.

Neymar's hands wandered from his cheeks to Rafa's own hands, and he gripped them tighlty, without breaking the kiss. He caressed Ney's lips and his hands and each centimetre of skin felt amazing. Neymar gently nudged him away and Rafa took the chance to breathe, and to smile and then to look down at their entwined hands. Neymar's hands looked good in his, like they belonged.

And then he spotted a little mark on his finger, two black circles, one filled with a silvery colour and the other one empty. And then he laughed, and laughed and laughed, and Ney looked at him like he went crazy, but Rafa only scrambled off his jeans (and now Ney thought that he completely lost his mind) but he spread his legs and tipped at his right thigh.

There were too circles, one filled with a silvery colour and the other one empty.


End file.
